Building-block



Patented July '19, 1892.

Nit-TE ST T S ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. BRIGGS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,054, dated July 19, 1892. Application filed February 24, 1891. Serial No. 382,661. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. BRIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBuilding-Blocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to building-blocks, and has for its object the construction of a brick which will be capable of use with or without the ordinary form of brick in the building of solid brick walls of any thickness, and the use of which will result in a great saving of material and time and labor and also a wall of the greatest strength.

To these ends the invention consists in a building-brick of the novel construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved buildingblock, which is constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall constructed of my improved building-blocks, showing the manner in which they bond when used in a wall equal in thickness to two-thirds of the longest side of the block. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a wall in which the depth is equal to the length of the block. Fig. 4: is also a perspective view of a wall, which shows the bond and arrangement of a wall equal to one and one-third the length of the block.

My improved brick is of greater width than depth, and consists of the two parts A and 4, said partA being composed of the three substantially-square parts 1, 2, and 3, which are arranged side by side, and said part 4 also being substantially square in shape, about one-third the length, but of the same thickness and width, of said part A, and secured at its edge 0 to the edge I). of .the latter, opposite the part 2 thereof, thereby forming a brick in which the part 4 will be in horizontal alignment with the top and bottom a and at a right angle with the sides or edges 1) of the part A and spaces be left on opposite sides of said part 4, each of which spaces will be bounded on opposite sides by parts of said brick, as shown. These blocks in practice are placed on their sides and may be arranged in various manners, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and a wall of any desired depth constructed with a more perfect bond, and therefore of a greater strength and durability.

In practice I prefer to make the block in a certain proportion'i. a, each part or unit equal to one-half the actual size of a common brick, or such sizes as are in use in difierent parts of the country and adopted as standards. By using these proportions the common or standard size may be used in combination with my improved block in the construction of various sizes of walls. By reference to Fig. 3 a number of these bricks will be seen.

Practical experience has demonstrated the fact that a wall constructed of my improved brick in the manner described will be of the greatest possible strength, the effect being the same as produced by the ordinary brick laid in alternate courses of headers and stretchers, or of ends and sides, which, as well known, produces a transverse and at the same time preserves a true longitudinal bond, and, moreover, that by the use of my improved brick the time, labor, and material required in the erection of a wall by the ordinary brick are materially reduced, as a wall constructed in layers of single bricks will have the thickness of those constructed in layers of two of the ordinary bricks, as shown in Fig. 2, or in layers of two bricks of three of the ordinary bricks, as shown in Fig. 3, or in layers of three bricks of four of the ordinary bricks, as shown in Fig. 4:.

I am aware that building-blocks of substantially T shape are not broadly new; but that heretofore disclosed is composed of a block of slab-like form having a tongue located on its longitudinal side and equal to the length of the block, which is a very different construction from mine. Moreover, said block is intended for a special purposenamely, lining other walls, division-walls, &c.,for fireproofingwhieh purpose my brick will not serve, and it is not intended for or practical for use in general building purposes, as the strain is perpendicular and 011 the top edge and tongue of the block, which blocks are laid edgewise, and if the strain is not equally distributed throughout the entire Walls the tongues will be broken and the wall thereby weakened. Furthermore, said block does not permit the building of a wall of variable thickness, but of but one thickness-namely, that of the block itself, including its tongueand cannot be used with the ordinary brick.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- As an improved article of manufacture, the herein-described building-block, comprising the oblong partA and the substantially square part l, said part t being secured to the edge of the part A opposite the middle thereof and extending therefrom on a line with the top and bottom thereof, said parts being of greater Width than depth, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affiX my signature this 16th day of February, A. D. 1891.

GEORGE E. BRIGGS. 

